The Venezuelan lasagna that has conquered Madrid
Only such an exquisite lasagna like the one baked in Pasticho is capable of leaving anyone speechless and, at the same time, be on everyone's lips. And it's what to bring 40 years red-handed it's not trivial. "Its T. 1981”, reads the sign that points us Luis Enrique, the local manager, which opened its doors in Madrid two years ago.
The expectations that revolved around Pasticho's landing, the last member of the Pasta Morandi family -founded in Caracas by the Italians Remo and Lelia Morandi- and Europe's first business , they were tall.
And, despite having to deal with confinement as soon as they took off, the artisan recipes that come out from Tuesday to Sunday from the kitchen of this wonderful Francisco Silvela street restaurant they have surpassed them to stratospheric levels.
“In Caracas they go for the fourth restaurant. The first was Pasta Morandi, located in El Paraíso ; the next, Pasticho by Morandi ; the third location is in the CCT shopping center , and now they are preparing the opening of a local room in Los Palos Grandes. We wait grow up here in Spain , but the quarantine -although we were working with the delivery- was a hard blow”, he comments Luis Enrique to Traveler.es.
Although it would not be fair to speak of recipes in the plural without giving the role it deserves to PASTICHO (so, with capital letters) , which is indeed a lasagna, but not just any (and if not, ask who recently took 10 travel trays to Galicia).
The key to the success of this classic italian dish lies in the ingredients and the savoir faire by Luis Enrique , which already has eleven years of experience In the House.
“We have a variety of dishes, but What we sell the most is the pasticho. Non-Venezuelan clients are surprised, since there are practically no businesses in Madrid that work exclusively with this dish” , he tells us.
Pasticho, the less curdled, the better...
“In Venezuela we make all kinds of pastiches: vegetables, chicken, meat... But the true pastiche, the traditional , is what we do here. It is made up of four ingredients: Bolognese sauce, bechamel sauce, pasta and Parmesan cheese” , he adds.
The key to his pastiche? As the chef tells us, as happens with the most successful potato omelettes: it should come apart on the fork. “Our lasagna she is a crybaby , is not compact. we serve it juicy, with its little sauce...”.
There was no more accurate adjective than "weeping" to define this divine bite, because to the last drop of bechamel -what we recommend herd with their homemade bread- it will bring tears to your eyes.
In the kitchen, Luis Enrique applies everything Chef Jose Gomes -who currently runs the business with Carlo Morandi- learned in the Cast Alimenti Italian cooking school : from the preparation of fresh pasta to sauces.
Buns are baked daily
“Bolognese and bechamel they are what really differentiate our pasticho from the rest of lasagna. The sauce has a cooking time of eight hours : when you try it, it is like a cream, the flavor is incredible. On the other hand, the bechamel is made with a cream that is Irish, Gran Mugnaio flour and a nutmeg from the Himalayas” , reveals Luis Enrique.
But not everything is going to be eating: to digest such an explosion of flavor, it is necessary to a drink to the height... “In Venezuela we usually accompany the pastiche with cold tea. Here we prepare it lemon or peach Luis Enrique recommends us. And nice suggestion.
Leave room for dessert
Apart from the star dish, they also offer fettuccine and linguine (accompanied by Neapolitan sauce, pesto, bolognese or even the three sauces mixed together), and salads: caprese, tropical (mix of lettuce with grilled pineapple, cinnamon, corn, alfalfa and almonds and a delicious yogurt sauce) -watch out for this one- and burrata.
The portions are plentiful but as José Gomes says: There is always room for dessert. , because the dessert does not go to the stomach, it goes to the heart”. Tres leches, lemon pie, passion fruit pie and cheese (caramel egg custard) are the sweet options.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
The place has a small terrace , delivery service and take away. In addition, they have a full menu -salad, pasticho or pasta, drink and dessert- for €12 and a half menu (no entree) for €10. And, when the weather is good, it is worth tasting its homemade vegetable creams and its comforting soups.
WHY GO
Any self-respecting lover of good food knows that you have to trust those gastronomic temples capable of attracting (and winning over) diners from the land from which they come. And Pasticho, with his taste of home , with his traditional cuisine , with his Venezuelan essence , Will not leave you indifferent. We give faith.
Address: C/ de Francisco Silvela, 75, 28028 Madrid See map
Telephone: 611 12 48 80
Schedule: From 12 noon to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday.
Additional schedule information: Closed Monday.
Half price: €10